Chapter 550
No.1
"Fiasco?" Julian's laugh was razor-sharp. "Every person here knows the value of a Strauss interview."
As father and son squared off, Evelyn suddenly chuckled.
"Mr. Yearwood just said he wouldn't do this even if we paid them?"
A vein throbbed at William's temple. "I stand by that. Unlike you—"
"Enough." Julian abruptly grasped Evelyn's hand. "If there's blame, it's mine to bear."
Melissa's pen clattered to the floor.
Married?
No.2
Gasps rippled through the executives.
William burst into laughter. "Spare the act! I checked—you're not even legally wed!"
Evelyn felt the warmth vanish from Julian's grip.
"Julian." She gently withdrew her hand. "I can handle this myself."
He stood frozen.
He should've known.
She never needed his protection.
No.3
"Fine." His voice turned hoarse. "I'll stay out of it."
Melissa's glare at Evelyn could've melted steel.
What gave this woman such power?
"Review the agreement." Julian closed his eyes wearily.
Only the rustle of turning pages filled the room.
Every person present understood—
This battle had just begun.
No.4
The secretary projected the agreement sent by Lance onto the large screen in the conference room.
William Yearwood clutched the printed copy, his knuckles turning white.
Melissa Lee stared at the screen, scanning each line of the contract with laser focus.
Her nails dug into her palms.
"Impossible..." she muttered under her breath. "How could it be missing..."
The other executives exchanged uneasy glances, some already wiping sweat from their brows.
The agreement was meticulously formatted, every clause clearly outlined—except for the most critical detail: the interview fee.
No.5
"Have we triple-checked Lance's contact information?" William suddenly demanded, his voice tight.
The secretary hastily handed over a phone. "Verified three times already."
Melissa snatched it and cross-referenced the number with the one in her own contacts.
Her face grew paler by the second.
"Call him," William ordered. "Now. Get this clarified immediately."
Julian Ashford took the phone, pressed dial, and activated the speaker.
"Hello?" Lance's lazy drawl came through.
No.6
"Mr. Yeager, this is Julian Ashford from Horizon Media. Regarding the agreement—"
"What? Not enough terms for you?" Lance scoffed. "Want me to add one where you pay two million dollars for the interview?"
William shot to his feet and grabbed the phone. "Mr. Yeager! This is William Yearwood, Chairman of Horizon—"
"Don't care who you are." Lance cut him off. "One condition: Evelyn Sinclair or nothing."
The line went dead with a decisive click.
Silence swallowed the conference room.
Evelyn lightly tapped the table. "In that case, my resignation is already submitted to HR."
No.7
She turned to Melissa. "Please expedite the approval, Ms. Lee."
Melissa's face drained of all color.
The conference room fell dead silent.
Evelyn's words exploded like a bomb, stunning everyone present.
Not only had she secured the interview with Winston Strauss, but she'd done it without spending a single cent. This surpassed all expectations.
But the most shocking part was her casual mention of "resigning."
The executives exchanged uneasy glances, their faces etched with regret and embarrassment.